Key case



Dec. 15, 1942. JQR WEGE KEY yCASE Filed Nov. 12, 1940 INVENToR JO/ IVA/PWEGE BY-ghgw/HLMQ v ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 15, 1942 KEY CAISE John P. Wege, West Bend, Wis., assignorto Amity Leather Products Co., West Bend, Wis., a corporation ofWisconsin Application November 12, 1940, ySerial No. 365,247

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in key cases, and moreyparticularly to key cases especially adapted for use with automobilekeys.

The object of the invention is to provide a key case of the typedescribed in which the ignition key and trunk keyA are held in separate,easily distinguishable, and readily accessible compartments.

Another object is to provide a key case having a plurality of separatecompartments, each quickly and accurately distinguishable.

The foregoing objects are accomplished by adjoining two keycompartments, one formed of red colored material in which is placed thetrunk key, and the otherformed of green colored material in which isplaced the ignition key. The user associates the green with go, andhence with the ignition key. The red causes association with stop, andhence with the trunk key. Additional indicia,v such as the printed WordsStop-Trunk may be placed on the red colored compartment or used in lieuof that color. The printed words Go-Ignition may be placed on the greencolored compartment, or may be used in lieu of that color.

'I'he novel features, which are considered characteristic of theinvention, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbest be understood from the following description of a specic embodimentwhen read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a view in front elevation of a key case embodying theinvention;

Figure 2 is a viewin side elevation of the key ca'se showing both keycompartments;

Figure 3 is a view in rear elevation of the key case;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a blank of material used to form eachcompartment of the key case;

rial used to form a key case embodying a modification of the invention;and

Figures 6 and 7 are respectively views in front elevation and rearelevation of the key case embodying the modication.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing, the f in Figure 4. As viewedin Figure 4, the inside of the blank is faced upwardly. Each blank has abody portion I I in the upper and lower ends of which perforations I2and I3 are provided. The blank I0 has a cover portion I4 in the upperend of which a perforation I 5 is provided. The perforations I2 and I5are so located as to be axially alined when the cover I4 is folded overon the line A so as tocoincide with the body portion II. Placedcentrallytop to bottom, and removed from the outer edge of the cover I4,is the stud part I6 of a snap fastener. The stud portion of part I6projects from the outside face. To the right of` the bodyfmember II is aflap member I'I' which has located approximately centrally of its'apex aspring button. I8 of the snap fastener. The springv button I8 openstoward the insideface of fthe blank II.I The button is so located thatit will be in approximate alinement with the stud party I6 when thecover I4 is folded over on the line B so as to lie over the coverportion I4 and the body portion II. When so alined the button I8 may bepressed down colored red, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the blank ofmatei on andsnapped into positionon the stud I6 to removably maintain the parts in folded position.

One blank is preferably formed of material On the outside of the coverportion I 4, and at the end thereof opposite the perforation I5, may bestamped or otherwise applied the indicia Stop-Trunk, as indicated inFigure 1. The other blank is preferably colored green and may havestamped, embossed,.or otherwise applied thereon, the indiciaGo-Ignition. This stamping is also placed on the outside of the covermember I4 and at the end opposite the perforation I5.

To form the two blanks into a single two,- compartment case, the blanksI I are placed with their outside surfaces face to face and with theirflaps I'I" coinciding. WhenV so positioned, as viewed in Figure 4, theperforation I5 of one blank will be at the top while the perforation I5of the other blank will be at the bottom, and the perforation l2 of eachblank will be in axial alinement with the perforation I3 of each blank.Flanged studs I9 are passed `through each pair of alined perforations I2and I3. The projecting portion of the stud I9 extends throughperforation I2 of each blank II and outwardly from the inside surface ofbody portion II. A collar (not shown) is pressed over theprojectingportion of each stud I9 and engages the inside surface of 'body portionII around the perforation I2. I. This holds the two blanks in fixed.relation@ outwardly from the case.

ship. To install the keys K in each compartment the apertures are fittedover the studs I9 and the covers I4 are folded about the line A. Theaperture I5 of each cover ts over the projecting portion of a respectivestud I9. A plate screw 20 is threaded into the projecting end of eachstud I9 to hold the covers I4 and keys K in place. To store the keysthey are swung between the cover I4 and body member II. The flap I1 isthen folded over, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the button I8 issnapped over stud I6, thus maintaining the iiap in position and the keywithin the compartment.

Whenever it is desired to use a. selected key, such as for example thetrunk gkey, the case is 4turned so that the red colored compartment isztoward the user. The flap I1 of this compartment is unsnapped andfolded `away from its respective cover I4. The trunk key is then swungThe flap I1 may or may not then be snapped back into closing position.The same process is employed with the green colored compartment when itis desired to use the ignition key.

From the foregoing it will be seen that it is only necessary to rapidlyglance at the case to determine which compartment `to open in order toobtain the desired key. The green color immediately associates in themind of the .automobile owner-user the word Go which `in turn isassociated with the ignition key. The red color brings to mind `the wordStop and thus suggests a key used only when the vehicle lis stationary,such as the .trunk key, or the like.

In the modification shown inFigures 5, 6, and '1, the twocompartmentsare formed from a single blank 3), which has a central bodyportion 3| and two cover portions 32 .and 33 formed on opposite sidesthereof. These portions 3|., 32, and 33 have at the tops thereofperforations 34, 35, and 36. These perforations are so positioned withrespect to each other that when the cover portion 32 is foldeddownwardly about the line X jects downwardly as so viewed. The covermember 32 has a spring button 39 positioned adjacent its outer edge andfacing downwardly. The button 39 and stud part 38 are so positioned asto be in substantial alinement when the cover 32 is folded downwardlyabout the line X into coinciding position with respect to the bodymember 3l. n like manner the cover member33 is provided with a springbutton 4I) positionedadjacent its outer edge and facing upwardly. Thespring button til and stud part 31` are so Vpositioned that when thecover memberr 33 isfolded upwardly about line Y, so as to coincide withbody member 3|, those parts will be in substantial alinement.

When the cover members 32 and 33 are'folded l about the respective foldlines, as heretofore described, a flanged stud 4I is inserted throughthe perforations 34, 35, and 36, and is held in place by a plate screw42. After placing the projecting portion of the stud member 4I throughthe per- In order to carry out the invention the outside coveringportion of spring button member 39 is colored red and the outside coverportion of spring button member 40 is colored green. In addition,indicia may be inscribed on the cover members 32 and 33 in the formindicated in Figures 6 and '1, and `by vthe manner heretofore described.

Although there are shown and described certain specific embodiments ofthe invention, many modifications thereof are possible. tion is not tobe restricted except in so far as is necessitated by the prior art andby the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A key case comprising a pair of pocketforming vmembers each including`a body lportion having a cover member and a closure flap securedthereto, said cover member and closure flap being foldable upon the bodyportion in superposed relation, separable fastener means carried by thecover member and closure ap to secure said members in pocket-formingpgsition, each said body portion being provided with a pair of spacedstud-receiving apertures and each cover member being apertured inalignment with an underlying stud-receiving aperture of the respectivebody portions, said pocket-forming members being arranged with therespective body portions thereof in contact and with the respectivestudreceiving apertures thereof aligned, a pair of stud members forsecuring the pocket forming members in assembled relation, each studmember including a head and shank, the shanks of the studs penetratingthe respective'aligned apertures in the body portions of thepocket-forming members and the head of each stud being disposed in thepocket of one of said pocket-forming members with its Ashank portionextending through the aperture in the cover member of the otherpocket-forming member, and a removable securing means on the free Yendof each stud.

2. A key case comprising a pair of elongated pocket-forming members eachincluding a body portion having a cover member secured to onelongitudinal edge thereof and a closure flap secured to the oppositelongitudinal edge thereof, said cover member and rclosure flap beingfoldable upon the body portion in superposed relation, separablefastener means carried by the cover member and closure flap to securesaid members in pocket-forming position, each said body portion beingprovided with a pair of spaced stud-receiving apertures and each covermember being apertured in alignment with an underlying stud-receivingaperture of the respective body portions, said pocket-forming Vvmembersbeing arranged with the respective body portions thereof in contact withthe closure flaps juxtaposed and with the respective stud-receivingapertures thereof aligned, a pair of stud members for securing thepocket-forming members in assembled relation, each stud member includinga head and a shank, the Shanks of the studs penetrating the respectivealigned apertures inthe body portions of the pocket-forming membersandthe head of each stud being disposed in the pocket of The invensaidcover member and closure flap being foldable upon the body portion insuperposed relation, separable fastener means carried by the covermember and closure flap to secure said members in pocket-formingposition, each said body portion being provided With a stud-receivingaperture adjacent each end thereof, and the respective cover membersbeing apertured at opposite end portions in alignment with oneunderlying stud-receiving aperture only of the respective body portions,said pocket forming members being arranged with the respective bodyportions thereof in contact with the closure flaps juxtaposed and withthe respective stud-receiving apertures thereof aligned, a pair of studmembers for securing the pocket-forming members in assembled relation,each stud member including a head and shank, the Shanks of the studspenetrating the respective aligned apertures in the body portions of thepocket-forming members and the head of each stud being disposed in thepocket of one of said pocket-forming members with its shank portionextending through the aperture in the cover member of the otherpocket-forming member, and a removable securing means on the free end ofeach stud.

JOHN P. WEGE.

